Merry Xmas from Calypso

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Winter is here

So, here we still are. Calypso is open in winter mode: Daytimes only, 10 - 6 lunches, snacks, coffees, drinks...oh and Monday night is 'games night' with a 6 euro buffet.

We are off to England in a weeks time for Christmas visit. Last year we were shocked not only by the drop in temperature but also by the way England seems to be a nation unable to remove it's collective eyes away from a TV screen for any meaningful length of time. We were extremely fortunate to escape the UK (where we didn't have a TV anyway) before the onset of mainstream cheap reality TV. We missed out on 'BB', 'BB2', 'Son of pro-celebrity BB', 'I'm a pop idol get me out of BB6' and all of the other thinly disguised rehashed garbage. So it's not like there is anything good to watch.

All of this would almost be forgivable but the biggest shock was that we were trying to tear peoples attention away from....Celebrity Come Dancing. Now, bear with me here. In the last millennium (oh, don't ya just miss it!) Come Dancing was tucked discreetly away in the schedules and watched only by friends & relations of the contestants, OAPs, sequin fetishists and as BBC marketing executives call OAFS (an 'almost acronym' of 'Other Assorted Sad F******') Last year the show was taking up an awful lot of prime time slots and hairy-arsed truck drivers from Rochdale were discussing it in the pub. We felt like taking the UK by its collective elbows and giving it a good shake and slapping round the face shouting 'It's Come Dancing you're watching for christsakes!'

I can only conclude that the French have put something in the water.

I do hope it will be different this year. Please God it can't get worse....can it?

French kiss

The lovely people at Petit Fute, one of the leading French travel guidebooks, gave us a sticker for our window the other day. We have been mentioned in this guide for some years but now it's nice to know that passing Frenchies who haven't bought the book will still be able to spot us!

Missed Holidays

With the shock news about XL, the owning company of Kosmar Holidays, going into administration, many regular Paleochoa visitors will have had their holidays cancelled & be refunded their money.

If you still want to come out here, there are some alternatives;

Sunvil Holidays may have package holiday availability. www.sunvil.co.uk

Otherwise, get flights with Monarch Airline ('Google' Monarch) to Hania or get scheduled flights with Olympic from London or Manchester (bags straight through, change planes in Athens) or, from Stanstead Aegean airlines (ww.aegeanair.com) a very good airline again change in Athens.

Another alternative is to get a flight to Heraklion & we will advise on getting here from there. Try Monarch, First Choice, Thomas Cook & Easyjet.

There are some convenient links to these websites in the right hand margin of the blog if you scroll down a bit

We will help you find accommodation here if you wish.

The finger to anonymous

For the benefit of the brave soul who calls him/herself 'Anonymous', the comments on this blog are moderated so therefore our regular readers will be spared your pathetic half attempts at humour. May I respectfully suggest you get a life.

In Out, In Out, Shake 'em All About - Tables That is!

Well it's been a busy week for the hapless Port Police in Paleochora. Normally resigned to drinking coffee and haranguing the occasional fisherman, they have been putting in overtime sheets for dealing with the extremely serious and grave offence of restaurants putting their tables out onto the road.

Traditionally, restaurants along the seafront have been putting tables out onto the road after 7pm when the road is closed to traffic. The Port Police in times past have allowed tables past the 'yellow line' (see photo). One fish restaurant of ill repute started putting more & more tables out and even getting a bulldozer to level areas across the road for more tables. This stirred the gallant officers into action and they descended on said restaurant in full swat gear. When they were politely told to 'Fuck Off' the decided in true kindergarten fashion, which is still the preferred way of dealing with things here, to do the SAS macho swat thing to every restaurant along the front.

The air was filled with protestations and delegations were sent to Hania. The Occifers relented briefly and promised not to fine restaurants over the busy weekend period but today said that the yellow line rule stood again. Then, direct from Port Police God who resides on a cloud in Hania came the decree that we could go 2 metres beyond the line! Only to be rescinded at the 11th. hour (1 minute to 7) and it was back behind the yellow line again. Pity the workers at restaurants who had jumped the gun and had to get all the tables in again! The drama continues....

Note: Serious bodily injury has never been reported due to tables being on the road.

Cheers me dears

Up for Grabs? Calypso?

Just want to use this space to clear up something which came as a surprise to some regular customers recently, which, in turn, surprised us!

We happened to mention that, if someone wanted to buy the Calypso business we would be more than willing to sell it. The people in question were quite taken aback. The fact is that any business we have owned has always been 'for sale'. Calypso is no different. We would always listen to offers, right from day 1.

For a couple (without kids) who are prepared to work the business together, there is a respectable income stream to be made.

Talk to us if you are interested.

The Case Of The Missing Tuna

Henry & Touril, from Norway were regular lunchtime visitors to Calypso. Touril especially liked her 'Tuna-salad-without-the-tuna-but-with-chicken-instead' Salad.

Sad Farewells

A cheerio for this year to new customers Phil & Finola (top - think of me when you get the very next trout taking your fly, Phil!) and our lovely regulars - but a little early this year - Dave & Gina.

10 Euro Nights Explained...

So, here's the deal. Just like French restaurants, we are offering, every Wednesday and Saturday, a fixed price menu. Choose 3 courses from the blackboard for only 10 Euros. Couldn't be more simple. Here's a sample menu from last Wdnesday night. These thing change each time!

Entrees & Side Orders

Tarragon & Garlic Mushrooms. Served on a granary crouton €4.50

Carrot & Cardamom Soup €3.00

Tzatziki. €2.50

Main Dishes:

Beef Stifado. Traditional Greek stew with red wine, tomatoes and baby onions €8.00

Roast Lemon Chicken. Done the traditional Greek way with oregano, olive oil and roast potatoes €6.50

Tzousoukakia. Traditional oven-baked Greek meatballs with mint & cumin in a tomato sauce. Served with rice or fried potatoes. €7.00

Spicy Singapore Noodles with Stir Fried Chicken (or with mushrooms and cashew nuts for vegetarians) €8.50

Tagliatelle with Fresh Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic & Cream €6.50

Tagliatelle With A Homemade Almond, Basil & Tomato Pesto €6.50

Desserts

Balsamic Strawberries & Ice Cream €3.50

Individual Apple Tart & Ice Cream €3.50

10 Euro Night

Revellers enjoying the new Calypso 10 Euro nights recently included (top) regular customers The Sayers, Alan & Pat and The Armstrongs, Eddie & Carol. Thanks for all the custome this year, guys!

Also, below, a bunch of crazy Norweigians.

Old mates

The Ashton-Wickets, Peter & Rosie were in for steak night just before they went back to the UK. Only a week this year. Boo. Make it 2 next year!

Also a blast from the past - Colin & Ginny (pictured here with Jeff & Duke on the left) have not been this way for about 6 years. Great to see you!

Ahoy, Me Hearties

Historic sailing yacht, Lively Lady made a welcome, albeit unscheduled, stop in Paleochora marina yesterday. If the name sounds familiar, it is the same vessel in which Sir Alec Rose single-handedly circumnavigated the globe 40 years ago.



Ocean adventurer Alan Priddy ( above 3rd. from left) is taking Lively Lady around the world again, this time with the help of a co-skipper and some young volunteers. The Lively Lady Project is designed to help young adults who may not have had the best starts, turn their lives around. Co-skippers and crew members do a leg of the voyage before leaving and being replaced by some more lucky individuals. Pictured above are (l-r) Coral Williams, Michael Bennet, Skipper Alan Priddy & Co-skipper Andy Reid.

The voyage will take just under a year and cover some 28,000 miles. All in a 2 berth sailing yacht built in 1948! They are due back in Portsmouth on 5th. July 2008. 1 day after the 40th. anniversary of Sir Alec's triumphant return. If you are in the Portsmouth area, make a note to go and join in the welcoming celebrations.

You can read more about the project and the boat here: www.livelylady.net

Mindy Facebook

Mindy, the unofficial Calypso cat has put himself on Facebook. He was accidentally locked in the restaurant the other week and, during the night, obviously walked across the computer keyboard and, as quantum mechanics would have it, managed to register! You can find him by searching 'mindy calypso cat' on the facebook page. He would love you to be his friend.

The weather as it happens

I have added a new link (in the side bar on the right....scroll down!) which shows the real time weather conditions right here in Paleochora. If you are interested, that is!

Finnish The Holiday

Eva returns to Finland tomorrow after spending the winter here in Paleochora. She looks after Mindy, the un-official restaurant cat so it will be a sad farewell. She will be back in August for her next visit (Eva, that is, not Mindy).

Surprise!

It was a wonderful surprise for Jenny (& the Boys) when her sister, Caroline, arrived at the restaurant on a week long holiday last Tuesday.

The biggest surprise for Jenny was that she was staying at our house! Good job I'd mucked it out!

Is it that time already?

Many simple folk in the village thought they'd overslept and woke up in August when they saw Bob & Ruth (right) pootling around recently. Not so! They are now fully retired and are working hard to rid themselves of any potential inheritance their lovely daughter, Chloe, may or may not have expected to collect later. Thus they will be in Paleochora for almost the whole summer. Here they are joined by our Gallic friends Alain & Pascale with their 2 delightful daughters who have a residence in rainy Kandanos.

The Boys Birthday Beach Bash

And we even had a clown....

A Man from Mars visits restaurant!

Well, not a bona fide Martian, (although quite a few of the visitors here are clearly from another planet!) but a man literally from Mars came in the other day and left behind a freezer filled with lovely ice creams.

Putting out fires

Marios, Irini and their puppy, Geoff, have moved to Crete from Athens. Marios is going to be a fireman here - a very tough job, especially in the summer. Irini is happy being a photographer.

The Boys upThe Mountain

Above: Jojo & Freddie, Below: i) Jojo approaching a chapel ii) A field full of flowers and iii) A 'Man Orchid'





My boys, Jojo & Freddie saw the orchid photos from the other day and, this morning, asked me to take them to have a look up in the mountains behind Paleochora.

We went with Jenny (my Jenny) and Mick to Ancient Kantanos - a Dorian settlement 2000 or so years ago about 9 or 10 klicks from Paleochora.

Freddie took the photo of the 'Man Orchid' you see here.

Terry & Judith

Here's Terry (who has a house at the building site formally known as Anidri) with his sister, Judith, who was over visiting.

Thanks to Mick & Jenny

The photos of orchids in the previous post were taken by myself during a stroll in the mountains with the lovely Jenny Neal and her n'er-do-well husband Mick McTiernan, this morning. Jenny is a botanist so was able to tell me when I was about to tread on something important! I have added a link to Jenny's website in the sidebar on the right.

Try clicking on the pictures to see more detail. Wonderful!

Local Orchids and Flowers

Now...here's the problem....These lovely foks (2 from Vouves and 2 from UK) drop by each winter. This time they left their names on a bit of paper which my wife, Jenny (I do know her name by heart) threw away. So. Time for the power of the web. Please make a comment on this post to tell us your names again and I will edit the post accordingly. (I do know that there is an Audery amongst them!)

Mindy The Cat

We get e-mails from time to time about Mindy, the unofficial Calypso Cat. Well, here he is, back to health following a gashed leg in the Autumn, and being as big a bloody nuisance as usual.

Familiar Faces

Stephen & Olga were amongst the first customers in the New Calypso.

Also, last week, we had old friends (and one new one) Dave, Charlotte & Milly Rose come to visit. You may remember Dave & Charlotte are both past winners of 'Calypso Employee of the Week' attaining that accolade back in 2006.

Indoor Beach Bar

Is this the only indoor beach bar on Crete?

The New Calypso

The new Calypso is finally open! We are just opening for daytime snacks and drinks at the moment but the grand opening first night will take place next moth. We had a very very busy Clean Monday and now look forward to Greek Easter!

Back Online! and getting ready.

Seems a long time since I was online that's because it HAS been a long time! Anyway...here I am again. Apologies to all viewers of the blog (if there are any left, that is) and to all of those whose e-mails didn't get a prompt reply.

We have been very busy fixing up the NEW CALYPSO and it should be ready to start daytime trading next weekend.
















Above you can see the intrepid Bruce (top,an old Calypso friend from a couple of winters ago) and Mick (bottom, who has returned for a couple of months) who got just a tad close and got tools and paintbrushes thrust at them. Today, Brian (who has foregone India this year) and Olga were helping too. It's down to fabulous people like this that Calypso will be ready to open and I'd like to thank them all now lest I forget later! Good work, Fellas! I'll be in the pub if you need me!

It does get cold here, sometimes!

There you are...some views of our cold snap a couple of weeks back taken at our house and at the beach near to the camp site and Paleochora Club. No, that's not white sand...it's snow.

Hey-up, World!

Hello everyone in Blogshire, Blogland.

We have just returned from a lovely 2 weeks in England and are just about to start to slowly get our SPANKING NEW PREMISES messed up enough to call CALYPSO!

If you pass by in the next few weeks don't be surprised if you are handed a paintbrush!

We will be only about 25 metres from the old place so all but the most hapless (or drunk) of you will find us with ease.

More later............